Karnataka wants talks, TN says No

Hours before the Tamil Nadu Assembly was to meet on Thursday, Karnataka Water Resources Minister D K Shivakumar wrote to Chief Minister Edappadi K Palanisami for talks to resolve the Mekedatu issue, but Tamil Nadu Law Minister C V Shanmugham rejected it, saying it had already moved a contempt petition against him in the Supreme Court.

In his letter, Shivakumar said that contrary to the misconception of Tamil Nadu, Mekedatu reservoir would help Karnataka to “regulating the releases in such a judicious manner that the excess water during good monsoon season is not allowed to flow from the Mettur dam into the sea unnecessarily as has happened during the current year” .

He sought an appointment with Palanisami to dispel misconceptions” about the project so that it could be amicably settled through talks.

Having taken a position to fight the issue through courts and Assembly and Parliament, Tamil Nadu cannot agree at this juncture, however well-meaning may be his gesture.